Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Booth by Karen Joy Fowler

4 reviews

bookedbymadeline's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Beautiful writing as always from Fowler! It could be slow at times and I had to really pay attention otherwise I’d get confused about what was happening. The first and last thirds were the best parts of the novel, the middle slumped a little making it difficult to pick up again. But as I said, Fowler’s gorgeous writing has a way of pulling me back in (and marking plenty of passages along the way).

The characters are complex and well written! I didn’t always like them but that’s what made them more interesting at the same time.

The story is told in alternating chapters between three of the Booth children-Rosalie, Edwin, and Asia-plus chapters about Lincoln’s rise to power and other historical tidbits to add context to the story. Overall an enjoyable story about a family that despite having an infamous member also isn’t very well known. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Slavery, War, Grief, and Racism

Moderate: Infidelity, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Child death, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Xenophobia, Domestic abuse, and Animal death

amykwrites's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Grief

Moderate: Misogyny, Murder, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Death, Gun violence, Racism, Child death, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Mental illness

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, War, Ableism, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Classism, and Blood

ghoulscoutcamp's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Alcoholism, and Child death

Moderate: Infidelity, Pregnancy, Slavery, Suicide attempt, Gun violence, Mental illness, Murder, War, Death, Death of parent, Medical content, Violence, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief

Minor: Racism and Homophobia

sjanke2's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

 I'm so enjoying fiction's latest focus on the families surrounding history's (in)famous men: William Shakespeare's wife in Hamnet, Johannes Kepler's mom in Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch, and now John Wilkes Booth's siblings.

Between my fondness for this literary structure and my obsession with Abe Lincoln (we share a bday), I should have loved this book. My high expectations for this novel dwindled over its ~500 pages as I read repeatedly about the Booth brothers' theatrical success, their drinking, and their silly life-threatening travels. I had to remind myself that this is not a novel about John Wilkes Booth; it's about his family. But his family was melodramatic and frankly put me to sleep on many occasions. 

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Colonisation, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Infidelity, Murder, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Violence, and War